Holiday Crazy
by Autobot Slipstream
Summary: The Freelancers get the holidays off. How do they spend their downtime? With parties and pranks and all sorts of shenanagains!
1. Chapter 1

author's** note: This is a HOLIDAY side fic to Project Freelancer. It was originally just going to be Thanksgiving but I decided to extend it through Christmas, New Year's, and possibly Valentine's Day if you guys like that idea. If you read that, there's a few spoilers for characters for characters I haven't yet introduced in that** story.

Agents Mississippi, Rhode Island, and New Jersey stood in the kitchen in civilian clothes. They had gotten special permission from the Director to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the agents of Project Freelancer.

"Where is everything?" New Jersey looked baffled. "This kitchen is way bigger than my old one."

Mississippi shrugged. "I'm in here all the time. Baking supplies are over to the right, just in front of us." She directed Rhode there. "Get started on the pies."

Rhode nodded and nearly ran over, excited.

"Jersey, you find the turkey. I'll find the potatoes and other stuff out of the pantry." Missi pointed to the line of freezers. Jersey walked over and started rummaging through them.

Missi eagerly dashed to the pantry and started flinging out anything she thought they would need, from potatoes to cranberry sauce to bagged fresh corn. From Rhode's direction, she heard an excited cry. "I found pumpkin pie ingredients!"

Jersey laughed. "I found whipped cream to go with your pumpkin pie!"

"Sounds like you're cooking up something great in here!" Missi heard Alabama's voice from the doorway. She ran out and dragged him into the kitchen. "Help us cook Thanksgiving dinner, Alabama!"

Alabama laughed. "I can't say no to you, Missi." He walked over and started moving the things Missi tossed out of the pantry to the counter. Jersey laughed at his predicament. "Younger sister bossing you around again, Alabama?"

"Shut up, Jersey." Alabama grumbled good-naturedly. "Just shut up."

"Nope!" Jersey teased. She shrieked with laughter.

Rhode laughed merrily as she got to work on her pies. "Listen to Alabama or you might not get any pie, Jersey!"

Jersey glared at Rhode. "No. Yes. Ugh, I hate you!"

From the door, a chorus of laughter passed by. Jersey and Rhode stuck their heads out to see a group consisting of Ohio, Delaware, Oklahoma, Minnesota, North, South, and most of the other Freelancers standing outside. York and Wash got shoved forward by a laughing Maine. South snickered evilly. CT had a broad grin on her face, and almost everyone else was trying not to laugh.

York and Wash looked at each other helplessly as Jersey and Rhode dragged them in to help.

The others moved on, though Carolina and South stayed behind to "make sure they didn't blow anything up", but everyone knew they were really keeping an eye on York and Wash.

It was a rare occasion when all the Freelancers were out of their armor and in civilian clothing during the day. The holidays were often the only times they had any downtime whatsoever. It was when everyone took a break from training, and no one was in the medical wing of the ship. Sometimes it got a little crazy.

Wash turned this thought over in his mind. Sure, he enjoyed these times, but it always seemed odd to go back to normal routine after the fun and games of the holidays.

He sighed and turned. Now to go help Mississippi with those giant turkeys she found...

**Poor Wash and York. Poor guys. The others have got to be having a good laugh over that one...Anyway, I will post the actual Thanksgiving dinner chapter on Thanksgiving Day, the Christmas chapter Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, the New Year's celebration as close to midnight as I can get, and again, maybe a Valentine's chapter or two. I don't know yet. Leave feedback on what you think I should do with this fic!**


	2. Time for Love and Time for Cheer

**i'm back! And remember, this is TOTALLY unrelated to the actual storyline of Project Freelancer. *shouts* Tex! Come do the disclaimer for me! **

**Tex: You're as lazy as Grif. Anyway, the author only owns her OCs in this story. Red vs Blue and the original Project Freelancer concept belong to Rooster Teeth.**

**Me: Yeah, huge shout out to Rooster Teeth for making such a great series :) And, I'm not lazy, I just get sick of always doing the disclaimers. Don't worry, I'm making Wash do it next chapter.**

**Wash: Wait, what?**

Tex and Minnesota shared a mischievous grin. Jersey, Rhode, Missi, Alabama, York, and Wash had been in the kitchen for a very long time, and they planned to drag them out. While Tex checked that everyone knew their job, Minnesota reviewed their plan for the last time. Delta sneakily popped up next to her. "Agent Minnesota, I do not believe this is a good idea."

Minnesota looked at the AI. "D, sometimes the best plans are the ones that seem the worst. Go back to York."

The green AI shrugged, sighed, and disappeared.

Minnesota's own AI, Zeta, flicked into sight. Minnesota sighed. "Zeta, I do wish you were allowed to communicate directly with the other AIs."

Zeta flicked to a dark purple color. "What makes you think I don't?"

Minnesota sighed. "I know you haven't. It's not as if I yank you."

Zeta sighed, flickering between bright and dark colors. "You're right. I will though, soon."

Minnesota grinned. "Like who? Theta? Omega?"

Zeta shuddered. "I don't like Omega. I don't like Sigma either. They're...they're..."

"Bad?" Minnesota suggested drily.

"Yeah!" Zeta conjured a staff and started twirling it around. "I'm bored now. Can we do something now?"

Minnesota laughed. "Alright, Zeta. Hold your horses."

Zeta conjured a couple of horses and held their manes. "Holding them."

Minnesota laughed harder at her AI's sense of humor. When she finally got up and staggered to join the others, tears were streaming down her face.

CT asked her what was up, and she and Zeta told the whole story. By the time they finished, they had everyone else in stitches. Maine had cracked the wall when he fell against it, CT was pounding the floor, and New Hampshire was curled up in a ball, laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath. California had long since stopped trying to laugh and was crying tears of mirth. And West was sobbing onto Mexico's shoulder.

The AIs flicked up, all laughing like the agents. As much as they were able, they were cracking up with laughter, their forms blurring and resolidifying into a recognizable figure. Even Omega was laughing, though not as hard as the others.

New Hampshire's AI, Pi, glanced around, squeaked, and blinked out of sight. Some of the others followed suit, until they heard the Director say:

"I have decided that in light of the season, the AI restrictions will be lifted. AIs may communicate directly with one another. Thank you."

All the AIs reappeared and cheered happily. California's AI, Tau, turned and struck up a conversation with Omega very quickly, while the others actually met each other for the first time. Zeta and Theta had a little impromptu skateboarding competition, while Pi, Iota, and Eta watched. They were all enjoyed themselves.

Delta and Epsilon appeared, shrugged, and disappeared again. A few minutes later, everyone from the kitchen came and joined them.

California and Hawaii laughed and shared stories with each other, while some, like Alaska, preferred to stand at the side of the room and watch. New Hampshire, Delaware, West, and Mexico sat and looked out over the empty training room and reminisced about the early days of Project Freelancer. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Minnesota grinned at the sight of South trying to wiggle out of Wash's grip, while herself trying to get away from North. South caught her eye and laughed, unlike the b*tch she usually was.

The holidays brought out the best in everyone, Zeta and the other AIs decided. Even the ones who you didn't think had a shred of kindness or compassion in them.


	3. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyond

**Hey! I'm back as promised with the final chapter of the Thanksgiving segment of this story :) Hope you enjoy, because this took a lot of work and planning. Please, please, please, R&R. Also, check lut my story Halo: Evolution. (Little bit of self-promotion there.) Wash?**

**Wash: She doesn't own Red vs Blue, only her OCs. Can I go now?**

**Me: Yeah, send me Oklahoma, would you? Thanks Wash.**

Carolina let out a small gasp as she looked at the impressive array of food laid out on one huge table in the largest room in the _Mother of Invention._

Jersey, Rhode, and Missi waved cheerily from the other end, where they were finishing setting out the last of the food. "Hi!"

Minnesota waved back happily. "Did you guys make all of this yourselves?"

"Yeah, we did!" Missi yelled back. "Don't you doubt it, Minnie, because we did it all!"

York and Wash emerged from another hallway, Wash groaning under the weight of a massive turkey.

"You finally got the last turkey here." Jersey remarked drily.

Wash just groaned in response and set the turkey down in the alloted space on the table.

York waved everyone over. "Come on, don't just stand there, sit down so we can eat!"

The others laughed and rushed the table, finding seats by...well...whoever they wanted to sit by.

Carolina took her seat at the head of the table. "It's just us this year. The Director had another engagement, I believe, so neither he nor the Counselor will be joining us."

The others cheered.

"It's kind of nice to be on our own." York said.

"Amen to that!" called Louisiana, laughing.

"When I was a kid, we always went around and said what we were thankful for at Thanksgiving. There are kind of a lot of us though..." Arizona said.

"We can do that! Good idea, 'Zona." Carolina said. "I'm thankful for good teammates."

York and a few others all said they were thankful for friends. Other additions included food, happiness, shelter, and laughter.

When they finally got around after fifteen or twenty minutes, Carolina took the knife and offered it to Missi, who refused it. "You slice the turkey. It's your right as the leader."

Carolina shrugged and started slicing turkey and serving it up. They passed around gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry jelly and sauce, and everything else they recognized from Thanksgivings past. When everyone was served, they dug in, talking, laughing, and sharing stories. Even the AIs appeared, seemingly all in good moods, talking to each other and the agents. Everyone was cheerier than they were at any other time of year. The air flashed with the AIs zooming around and flicking in and out of sight. Louisiana had set a bunch of sparklers on timers around the ceiling of the room and decorated the walls a bit in her typical flashy style. Occasionally someone would get up and knock someone out of their seat, causing that person to bide their time before getting up and getting their revenge.

They ate for a long time, decimating everything on the table. Alabama and some of the others were even sent back for more food.

At long last they finished, and played some card games and such before Rhode and Jersey disappered to the kitchen along with a few others, returning laden with pies and other desserts. But mostly pies, from pumpkin to cherry to pecan to French silk. They brought fixings too, sauces and whipped cream and, for some reason, cake sprinkles. The agents took clean plates and desserts, some filling their plates, some taking only one or two pieces. Someone brought out some alcoholic beverages for those who wanted them, and some took them.

The party continued late into the night, yet no one left early, to the surprise of some. The freedom was enjoyed by everyone, AIs included. The agents could do what they wanted. The AIs could talk to each other. Everyone was fed, free, and happy.

They couldn't wait until the next holiday.

**Click that little button down there and review, please! I'll start right in on the Christmas chapters. I promise there will be more chapters for Christmas than there were for Thanksgiving, so I hope you enjoyed this, because hopefully the Christmas chapters will be a little better :$ lol.**


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